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Hillbilly Elegy

a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
Aug 11, 2017writermala rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
What a poignant memoir by a person from what we perceive as a priviliged class - the white male. J.D Vance tells of a childhood spent amidst poverty, violence, and no sense of stability. He is one of the fortunate men from his class, the poor from Apalachia, who escaped the cycle of poverty largely due to the time he spent with his grandparents - Papaw and Mamaw. Lacking a male role model, as his mother flitted from one husband to another, J.D breaks out and tells the tale beautifully. Mamaw may have been an unreformed simpleton but in her political astuteness lay great wisdom. It was only after he moved in with Mamaw that J.D started doing well in school. This was followed by a stint as a marine . It was this experience that taught him leadership and that to be a leader one had to earn the respect of followers. The experience as a marine prepared J.D. for college in a way nothing else could have. However, chaos begets chaos and forever J.D had to fight anger issues. A well told tale which should be read by all.